1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to techniques and systems for securing an endo-tracheal tube or other medical line to a patient. More specifically, this invention relates to an anchoring system and related techniques that maintain an endo-tracheal tube in position upon a patient and/or that prevent migration of the tube within the throat of the patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an endo-tracheal tube is used with a medical patient, it is common for the tube to be secured to the patient by means of adhesive tape. Failing to secure the endo-tracheal tube can result in the migration of the tube within the throat of the patient. Such motion is undesirable since outward motion of the tube can result in the tube moving entirely out of the airway of the patient, eliminating its effectiveness and potentially ventilating the patient""s gastro-intestinal tract instead of the his lungs. Inward motion of the tube is undesirable because it will eventually result in the tube moving down one of the patient""s bronchi, preventing air from being ventilated to the other lung. This will quickly lead to the collapse of the unventilated lung. Even slight back and forth motion of the tube within the throat can result in tracheomalacia and ultimately in the weakening or collapse of the trachea, which may require permanent stenting to maintain an open airway.
In order to avoid these undesirable consequences, it is common to secure the endo-tracheal tube in the proper position upon the patient. For instance, a medical practitioner may, after positioning the tube properly within the throat of the patient, wrap adhesive tape around the tube and tape it to the patient. Various devices are often used as adaptors for endo-tracheal tubes, and sometimes these devices are taped to the patient. Other techniques can involve the use of straps which are wrapped around the head of the patient and which connect to the tube, or to the adaptor of the tube.
Such arrangements present certain problems for a medical practitioner. One difficulty is that once secured, it is generally not convenient to release or adjust the securement of the endo-tracheal tube. For instance, if an adhesive is used to secure the tube to the patient, adjusting or resecuring the tube in such situations requires that the adhesive be removed from the patient and the tube, and then fresh adhesive be used to properly resecure the tube upon the patient. Such adhesive tape can be difficult to work with for medical practitioners wearing latex gloves, and contact with the adhesive can introduce tears or microscopic perforations into the gloves, compromising their effectiveness. Furthermore, repeated application and removal of adhesive from the face of a patient can irritate the skin of the patient.
Systems that use straps are often difficult to adjust and generally involve complex arrangements that can be difficult to position properly upon a patient. These systems can be difficult to remove from a patient as well. Furthermore, such systems for retaining an endo-tracheal tube in position often occlude the mouth of the patient. This can prevent a health-care worker from having access to the mouth to allow for mouth care, such as suction of fluid from the oral cavity.
Therefore, a need continues to exist for an improved system to secure an endo-tracheal tube to a medical patient.
One aspect of the system described herein is a securement device for maintaining an endo-tracheal or other medical tube in position upon the head of a patient. The device includes a head pad having a support and a platen. The platen is a generally flat rectangular member having a central region and a pair of securing regions, one of the pair of securing regions extending from each lateral side of the platen. Each securing region has a plurality of openings such as slits formed in it. The support can be attached to an upper surface of the central region of the platen such that the openings of the pair of securing regions are exposed to each lateral side of the support.
Another aspect of the securement device is a securing member. A plurality of securing members can be used with a single head pad. Each securing member comprises a flat elongated flexible strip having a first end and a second end. The first end of the member has a hook region upon which the hooks of a hook and loop fastener are disposed and also has a loop region upon which the loops of a hook and loop fastener are disposed. The second end of the member has a fastener configured to attach the member to the medical tube.
The members are configured to be attached to the head pad by passing the first end of the member through one of the slits of the head pad and then attaching the hook region of the member to the loop region of the member to secure the member to the head pad.
In one mode, the fastener of the second end of the securing member comprises an adhesive layer disposed upon one side of the second end of the securing member. This adhesive may be covered by a removable release liner.
In another mode, the fastener of the second end of the securing member comprises a hook configured to cooperate with an aperture of the endo-tracheal tube.
In yet another node, the fastener of the second end of the securing member comprises an aperture configured to be secured to a hook of the endo-tracheal tube. In further modes, a plurality of additional apertures can be disposed at different positions along the second end of the member.
In another aspect of the described system, the medical tube itself may include appropriate fastener elements such as hooks or apertures as described above.
In another aspect of the described system, an attachable fastener unit is used. The attachable fastener unit can be attached to the medical tube, and can comprise a support member and at least one second fastener element disposed upon the support member. The support member is configured to be attached to the medical article and the second fastener element is configured to cooperate with the fastener element on the second end of one of the securing members so as to attach the securing member to the attachable fastener unit.
In operation, the securement devices described herein may be used to secure a medical tube to the head of a patient. This can be done by placing the head of the patient upon the support of the head pad and positioning a medical tube upon the head of the patient. The secuing members can be attached to the medical tube via one of the techniques described above. Each of the securement members can be made snug between the head pad and the medical tube. This is done bypassing the first end of the member through one of the slits of the head pad and then attaching the hook region of the member to the loop region of the member in a position such that the member is taut.
Further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments that follow.